Mental Health Advisor

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust seeks a dedicated Mental Health Advisor to support people in crisis via the NHS 111 service. You will provide empathetic, practical guidance and help navigate callers to the right care, working within a multidisciplinary team across Durham Tees Valley.

The role requires resilience, strong communication, and the ability to work shifts, including evenings and weekends, to meet urgent needs in a supportive NHS setting.

Qualifications

• NVQ 3 in Care, Customer Care or Business Administration or working towards it.
• Experience of patient care or customer service.
• Experience of shift patterns including evenings and weekends.
• Comfort with using MS Word/Excel/Outlook to support daily tasks.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for people in mental health crisis across the 111 service.
• Use screening pathways to assess needs and direct callers to appropriate care.
• Provide reassurance, basic advice and information to callers.
• Collaborate with partner agencies to arrange onward support and referrals.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Prioritisation

Literacy

Education

NVQ3 in Care/Customer Care/Business Admin

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Mental Health Advisor

The closing date is 18 November 2026

Do you have excellent listening skills, enjoy solving problems and genuinely want to make a difference in the lives of others supporting people in mental health crisis? If so, come and join our Mental Health advisor team! We are launching the national 111, option 2 for mental health and the role of Mental Health Advisor may be the perfect fit for you!

Our new 111 press 2 for Mental Health service will support patients in crisis across the Durham Tees Valley area to be able to access mental health care by calling the NHS 111 number then pressing option two. Patients will then be able to talk to a mental health advisor and if needed with the Mental Health Crisis Line, Community mental health teams or mental health hubs throughout the area.

As an NHS 111 press 2, Mental Health Advisor, you will be the first point of contact for people who are struggling with their mental health. You will provide reassurance and comfort. You will provide basic advice and health information to patients calling 111, supporting callers to access the appropriate level of care.

You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, this role does not meet the required eligibility criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa and therefore the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular role.

Main duties of the job

This is a job where you can truly make a positive impact. It will challenge you and help you grow as a person. You will need to be resilient, to think on your feet and be quick to adapt to changing situations. You will need to be empathetic and patient, able to understand and connect with people who are going through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. You will be part of a supportive and encouraging team that is constantly learning and growing, and you will be given opportunities to develop new skills and take on new challenges.

You will work collaboratively with partner agencies to support patients who need onward support and will be able to refer directly into secondary care services such as local Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams for those who need an urgent assessment. This will ensure there is an easier, smoother way for patients to get support for their mental health.

You will work as part of a team of people who have a passion for helping those in crisis, where no two days are the same. Experience within mental health or customer service setting is desirable however you do not require any medical knowledge, and full training in managing calls, supporting patients during a crisis and the use of our systems will be provided.

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won't rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job responsibilities

As a Mental Health Advisor for Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust you will be the first contact for patients, carers, professionals and other callers who are contacting services with an urgent mental health need, 24hrs a day, covering a 7-day service.

You will use screening pathways to record patient demographics and clinical information to assess their condition and ensure that they are directed to the most appropriate healthcare professional or service to support callers to access the appropriate level of care.

You will be compassionate in meeting the needs of patients and their carers and will, at all times, promote a positive image of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities.

You will ensure that calls that are received are appropriately assessed to ensure that callers are directed to the most appropriate health care professional.

You will deliver high quality, safe and clinically effective healthcare over the telephone following appropriate pathways, communicating effectively with callers in critical situations or about areas of concern.

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further detailed information to ensure that you meet the role criteria before applying.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NVQ 3 in Care, Customer Care or Business Administration or commitment to work towards
• Qualification or experience in Customer Services
• Previous experience of patient care
• Experience of working shifts patterns including evenings and weekends
• Working with demanding targets

Experience

• Previous experience of patient care
• Previous experience of working with people with mental/social health needs or learning disabilities

Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office applications

Skills

• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to prioritise and manage own workload
• Enhanced literacy skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust